Everlasting Friendship
by Mylene1
Summary: Genrou and one of his close friends go to check out a recent raid by an unknown group of bandits. But as they try to get answers, Genrou's friend is captured and taken away. Genrou goes in search for his friend but finds much more lies out there... *R & R


Disclaimer: I don't own Tasuki, or Kouji, or Fushigi Yuugi…so dun sue meh!!! ^^ R&R Plz.

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A Journey Begins…

          "Shudap Genrou!" Kyoi joked as her and Genrou talked about their recent raid. Kyoi was beginning to run with some of the loot when she tripped and fell. To Genrou it was hilarious but for Kyoi, it was another story. 

                "It's not funny Genrou! I could've broken somethin' or lost some of the loot," Kyoi said in protest.

                "Aww come on! Lighten up!" Genrou said punching her shoulder roguishly. 

"Well...I guess it was kinda funny..." Kyoi said beginning to agree with Genrou. 

"Yeah, especially when your face plunged into that mud!" Genrou said, beginning to chuckle. 

Genrou burst into laughter and Kyoi joined him. Kouji walked into the room to see the two laughing joyfully with one another.  

"Hold up for a minute, we've got trouble." Genrou stood. "What's happen'in Kouji?" "Our men saw some other bandits pokin' around in the forest. Those bastards were burnin' trees and a town nearby call Machi. The problem is, we dun' know who the hell it is." Kouji said.

                 "Maybe we should send some men to check it out," Kyoi insisted. 

                "Nah. We can't just attack them without knowin' what the hell they're up to. I think we should check it out first," Genrou said looking at his friends, a bit of earnest appeal about him.                  

                "I'll stay here." Kouji said. 

Genrou looked over at Kouji. "Ya' sure?"

 "Yeah. One'a us needs to stay here with the men. Now go before I change mah damn mind," Kouji said crossing his arms. Genrou looked over to Kyoi. 

                "Ya' ready ta' go?" Genrou asked. 

Kyoi nodded and walked out the room, closing the door behind her. Genrou looked back to Kouji. 

                "We'll be back. Make sure ya' dun nothin' stupid, like always," Genrou joked, opened the door and exited the room. Kyoi was already waiting outside the door.     

                 "Are _you_ ready?" Kyoi asked her arms crossed. 

                "Oh yeah! Just a sec, lemme get mah tessen," Genrou said, heading off to his room. Kyoi shook her head in disbelief of his lack of readiness.

                "Come on baka, let's go!" An annoyed Kyoi shouted patting her foot in impatience. 

                "Alright! Jeez, I'm comin'! Don't push me Kyoi..."

                "I'm ready." A ready Genrou walked out many minutes later, his tessen sheathed and a smirk worn on his joyous face.

 "Thank Suzaku! About time!"

 A swift whack came across Kyoi's head as Genrou had unsheathed his tessen and hit her on the head. 

                "Ow! Damn!" Kyoi screamed rubbing her head in utterance. 

                "That's for callin' meh a baka." Genrou said with a smirk. 

"Damn you." Kyoi glared at him, a small smile fixed upon her face. 

                "Let's go," Genrou said, walking off. Kyoi followed as they left the hideout into the darkness.

       Genrou and Kyoi walked a nearby path close to the town. 

                "First we'll look for some clues or somethin'," Genrou said quietly, surveying the land around him inconspicuously. 

                "Alright," Kyoi said softly.

A voice came suddenly. 

                "Quick, behind the bushes!" Genrou and Kyoi crawled behind some damp brush nearby, peeking out to observe what was happening.

"Leave now! You have done what I have called for you to do. Make sure you leave unnoticed. If not, it will mess up the entire plan." A man shouted, while his figure was shrouded in the dark. "Sir!" A group of voices replied, their footsteps then heard retreating. 

                "What are we gonna do?" Kyoi silently asked. 

                "See if we can take out some of those men. Get some information from some of em'." Genrou gave a sly grin. They then began to make their way toward the men, looking back to see only that the mysterious man was gone, a cool breeze moving through the branches of the trees he once stood under.

                "I see em'!" Genrou whispered quietly, catching Kyoi's attention. 

     They jumped hurriedly to their feet, walking at first then running at a steady pace toward the men. The men turned around, shocked at the site they saw. As they approached the men, Genrou noticed how his personal calculations on the men were off as the men numbered from nine to ten while he had guessed four to five.

                 "Ya' ready?" Genrou asked looking toward Kyoi, an anticipant look about him. 

                "Yeah! We can do this..." Kyoi stuttered anxiously.

                "Looks like someone's scared, eh?"

Kyoi's cheeks flushed red, as she was too embarrassed to admit so. 

                "Er, who said that I was scared?! I'm ready!" Kyoi said with an eager look toward Genrou.

"You can do this Kyoi," Tasuki gave Kyoi an encouraging pat on the back as he passed her, "but if I end up saving your ass, you owe me some free sake." 

"You're on!"

Kyoi ran toward the men eagerly, leaving Genrou behind. Genrou sighed, drew his tessen, and followed Kyoi's lead. Kyoi drew her sword and sliced viciously at one of the men. Genrou fired his tessen at all in his path, bringing men to their knees in pain as his hot flames flickered across their vulnerable skin. Kyoi finished the men near her when one came creeping behind her, unrevealable to her eye. Genrou looked back to Kyoi. 

                "Kyoi! Watch out!" It was too late. 

The man had grabbed her from behind and more men were coming to help him. Kyoi struggled viciously against the men, trying desperately to get free.

                "Get the fuck off me!"  She desperately tried to slice at them with her sword but mistakenly dropped it. 

                "SHIT!" Kyoi screamed as the men's feet trampled it. Genrou brought his tessen up, ready to aim at the men surging at Kyoi's body. 

                "Don't worry Kyoi! LEKKA..." Genrou began, but was cut off as one of the men grabbed his tessen out of his grasp. 

                "You jerk!" Genrou yelled turning toward him to fight, but time was of the essence. They were already beginning to drag Kyoi away. Genrou began running toward Kyoi but was stopped by a man, choking him from behind. 

                "Y-you bastard!" Genrou said struggling to get free. He elbowed the man in his stomach, weakening his grip on him. He then pushed the man to the side and ran after Kyoi. A slice greeted him to his stomach painfully as one of the men used Kyoi's sword. Kyoi's eyes widened, seeing Genrou's blood droplets glisten in the moonlight and stain the ground beneath her. 

                "Genrou!" Kyoi yelled struggling to get free of the grasp, but it was useless. The man placed her sword under his cloth that held his bottoms, giving Genrou a sinister look. He caught up with the men ahead of him, leaving a hurt Genrou in the darkness. 

          "Damn it!" Genrou said falling to his side. Genrou sat there for a while, often hearing Kyoi's screams for help. He felt so bad. He couldn't help save her and he had no one there to help go after her. _Maybe Kouji should'a came_. Genrou looked around. _There's gotta be a stick or somethin' around here._ He spotted a long thick stick in the corner of his eye. He reached out his hand, grabbed it, and hoisted himself up_. I'm too banged up to go after her. I'll hafta go back and get help._  Genrou limped down the path back to Mt. Leikaku slowly, as the moon shone brightly in the sky. 

                Genrou literally fell through the door. Bandits turned from their card games and money and looked towards the figure that lie in the doorway. They stared intensively, as Genrou's fingers twitched and he moaned silently in pain. Kouji walked in, a muddled look on his face. 

                "What's all the damn noise?" Kouji asked, looking around the room. He spotted his friend's body lying there, motionless.

                "Genrou!" Kouji yelled running to his battered friend. 

Blood was everywhere. He sat Genrou up, picked him up, and slung him gently on his shoulder. He went to his room and placed Genrou on the bed heedfully. He moaned as the covers galled his wound unbearably. "Genrou! Genrou!" Kouji shook him violently, trying to get him to awaken. 

                "Ow, damn it!" 

Kouji yelled for water and bandages. A bowl of cold water, bandages, and a small rag was placed on a small stand and was handed to Kouji. He grabbed the rag, making sure it was loaded with water, and began cleansing Genrou's wound. Genrou moaned with pain as the rough cloth made his aching sore feel worse. Kouji dunked the cloth back into the cold water, lifting it to wring out onto Genrou's wound. Genrou could feel the cool liquid trickle down his fragile wound, causing him to croon in ease. Kouji, then, began to wrap the bandage around Genrou carefully, making sure that it hugged his skin just right. 

                "What the hell happened?" Kouji asked, tucking the end of the wrap under the overlapping layers. Genrou sat up and looked to the side, a cringing look washing upon his face. 

                "They took Kyoi." 

                "Took her where?" 

                "I dunno!" Genrou answered upset, slamming his fist into the bed's covers. Kouji closed the door and walked back to Genrou. 

                "Tell meh what happened in the first place," Kouji said. 

"We were heading to that town but, we heard some voices and we decided to hide behind a some bushes. It was some man, talking about how he didn't want our bandits after him or somethin' like that. So I decided we should cut em' off...it wasn't many bandits...I- I just guess I got too big-headed or..." Genrou's words began trailing off. 

"So we don't know where the hell Kyoi or those bandits are?" Kouji sighed, "I'm just glad you weren't hurt too bad. Try ta' get some rest," Kouji said, beginning to walk from the room. 

"No, I'm gonna go back and get 'er," Genrou said sitting up. 

Kouji turned to look at Genrou.

 "Your in no shape to be goin' out Genrou." 

 "It's just a lil' slash Kouji," Genrou said, moving to the edge of the bed. He felt a sharp pain catch his body and he moaned.

 "See. You're not goin' out, at least not yet. Wait till' the morning at least," Kouji said, as his back was turned to Genrou. Genrou pondered on Kouji's words then sighed. 

"Alright Kouji. I'll wait. But when morning comes, you bet the hell I'm outta here. No matter what you say." 

 "Alright." Kouji wished Genrou a good night and walked out of the room quietly.

          That night, Genrou couldn't sleep. He would toss and turn, unable to get the day's events out of his head_. I should'a been able to save er'._  He couldn't take it anymore. Since he couldn't sleep, he might as well go out and look for Kyoi. He slid to the edge of the bed carefully, not to hurt himself. He put his feet on the floor and stood. The slash hurt, but not as much as before. He slipped on his boots and walked out of his room quietly, not to wake anyone, specifically Kouji. He walked down the hall quietly towards the door. He opened it slowly, inspecting the surroundings. He looked back to the inside of the hideout, wishing everyone good being. Placing one foot out through the doorway, Genrou began his journey. He walked steadily through the forest, grasping a long, thick stick to help himself if he were to get weak on the way. Genrou was then engulfed by the forest's uncanny darkness as he lurched his way deeper into the mysterious forest…  

TBC…

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Owari ^^

If I get enough reviews, I will continue this. R&R plz!!!! ^.^ If you guys are interested in the story on how Kyoi became a bandit, email meh and maybe I'll put it up. Kyoi means marvel/wonder and Machi means town. If you guys wanted to know. ^^ R&R again! 


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